Thinking about wildflowers today, and prospects for a good bloom hereabouts are dimming. But, rain is now showing up on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) GFS models on Thursday, Sunday, and again after the following Wednesday (can be seen here). I am so excited! Maybe this time these model depictions of rain in SE AZ won’t be numerical mirages as they often have been this winter 10-15 days in advance. Model doesn’t seem to know about the “strange repulser” of SW storms, the La Nina phenomenon now in progress I guess.
Also, in the current spell of desiccation, there haven’t even been any cirriform clouds, those high ones that make the sunsets here so nice!
Things are looking pretty sad in the Catalina State Park and surround State free range lands as December rains-inspired grass starts to look a little stunted due to lack of rain over the past six weeks. Don’t want to see hungry (?) cattle here and there eating cholla cactus. See photo. That is not a fake cow. I filmed it gulping several cholla “fruit” down (film rated “PG” since its unimaginable that any living thing would devour something like a cholla bud, and your kids might start to cry if they see this). ((Are there no nerve endings in cow’s tongue?)). (((And if Ripley’s “Strangely Believe It” was still around, I would be submitting this cow photo so fast for some kind of prize.)))
Oops. what is a cholla “fruit”? See next photo. Cholla seem to like people.
Last, reminiscing over the fabulous 2010 wildflower show in Catalina State Park and environs, this 3rd photo:
